CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – SulphurSprings celebrates 70 years of service on Thursday, September 5, 2019. The hospital is planning a month long celebration of this momentous occasion. The associates will be honored with treats each week to recognize their dedication to our patients and community.

As quoted in an article in The Daily News Telegram on Friday, September 2, 1949, “Hopkins County recognized the need for a hospital but it took an enormous amount of thought, energy and work by a number of people to make the actual building of the structure a possibility.”

In the early stages of Hopkins County Memorial, they had approximately 30 employees, 11 medical doctors and 4 dentists. There were about four to six graduate nurses, about 14-16 nurse aids, two male attendants, three kitchen employees, one maintenance man and the rest were made up of technicians. Today, the hospitalemployees over 600 associates, including providers for both the hospital and CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic.

The $250,000 hospital had an open house for the public on September 4, 1949 with plans to open for business the next day, September 5, 1949. The hospital had 42 adult beds and 8 bassinets. The 42 adult beds included a ward of 5 beds for male patients and a ward of 5 beds for female patients. Currently, our hospital is licensed for 96-beds, and includes four-suite operating room department, a Medical-Surgical unit, Intensive Care unit, Perinatal unit, and Inpatient Rehabilitation. Our outpatient departments include Radiology, Laboratory, Cath Lab, Stress Lab, Respiratory Therapy, Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehab, Wound Care, and Physical Medicine. We also have an Emergency Department opened 365 days per year, which is fully staffed with providers and associates trained in emergency medicine. Our emergency department sees more than 21,000 patients per year.

Paul Harvey, President & CEO, began his tenure on July 12, 2016 when the hospital merged with CHRISTUS Health. “The mission statement of CHRISTUS Health is to ‘extend the healing ministry of Jesus Christ’. In honoring the mission, our alignment with CHRISTUS Health has allowed both our providers and associates to expand the quality of care and services we provide to our community.”

The increased services because of this alignment include: Full-time Gastroenterology, Full-time Pain Management, Full-time Hospitalist coverage, access to specialists through telemedicine, increased overall access for specialty care and ongoing support for future growth in all areas. The recent addition of a Free Saturday Sports Injury Clinic for student athletes allows us to partner with CHRISTUS Trinity Sports Medicine and the area schools.

“CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – SulphurSpringsis dedicated to providing our patients with the very highest levels of care for a hospital in a rural community,” said CEO, Paul Harvey.“By taking advantage of the foundation that was built by the caring people of Hopkins County, our goal is to continue to build on that foundation and grow our hospital to reach its fullest potential.”